PhD in Economics, Analytics and Decision Sciences
Lucca, Italy
DURATION
3 up to 4 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
12 Jun 2025
EARLIEST START DATE
01 Nov 2025
TUITION FEES
Request tuition fees
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* no tuition fees; students beyond the tuition waiver also receive a scholarship €16,243 per year for up to three years
Introduction
Deadline for applications:
June 12, 2025 at 1 pm (CEST time)
The IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca is now recruiting 7 fully funded doctoral candidates for its Economics, Analytics and Decision Sciences (EADS) Ph.D. Program.
The EADS Program trains international Ph.D. students to undertake cutting-edge research in a wide range of economic and social disciplines with a unique multidisciplinary approach that relies on the unifying language of statistics and data science, as well as on selected tools from computer science and psychology.
EADS students also have the opportunity to complete their research projects under joint supervision (double-degree) with partner universities, including KU Leuven (Belgium) and the University of Alicante (Spain). All students are encouraged to spend visiting research periods at international organizations, both within the Erasmus+ framework and through ad hoc mobility agreements.
EADS in a nutshell
- Contract Type: Scholarship up to 48 months
- Commitment: Full-time
- Location: Lucca (Tuscany, Italy)
- Official language: English
- Starting date: November 1, 2025
Your Role
- First year: Follow courses in your tailor-made scientific training program
- Second and subsequent years: Engage in your own research (both at Lucca and abroad) under the guidance of at least one Advisor from the Faculty
- Develop three or more research papers for your doctoral thesis
- Participate in the daily academic and campus life, including seminars, conferences, workshops attendance, public outreach activities etc.
We offer
- An exciting multidisciplinary and international research environment with ample opportunities to exchange with scholars from related disciplines at international Universities
- Work under the supervision of at least one Advisor from the faculty
- Work in a team with several other doctoral candidates, postdoc researchers, and faculty
- A tailor-made scientific training program with a wide range of courses, lectures, and seminars by leading researchers
- Mentoring, training, and career development support
- A highly competitive full-time Ph.D. Position with:
- a scholarship for a maximum period of 4 consecutive years
- social security coverage
- free accommodation on the sustainable and accessible campus (all year round)
- free meals on campus (lunch and dinner, all year round)
- additional research funds
- additional international mobility funds
- insurance coverages (liability, accident)
- no tuition fees
- a scholarship for a maximum period of 4 consecutive years
- social security coverage
- free accommodation on the sustainable and accessible campus (all year round)
- free meals on campus (lunch and dinner, all year round)
- additional research funds
- additional international mobility funds
- insurance coverages (liability, accident)
- no tuition fees
Ideal Students
The EADS program welcomes candidates with training in one of the following subject areas: economics, management, statistics, law, physics, computer science, engineering, logic and philosophy of science, mathematics, cognitive and behavioral sciences, or in contiguous areas.
The ideal candidate is interested in acquiring distinctive competencies in economics, analytics and decision sciences, but does not necessarily need to have previous training in these areas.
However, it is crucial that the candidate demonstrates solid quantitative skills, comparable with those typically acquired in economics-managerial degrees.
Program Outcome
The Program prepares to face, analyze, and solve a wide spectrum of complex and policy-relevant problems at the institutional, social, and industrial levels, with the primary objective of identifying sustainable solutions and designing effective intervention policies in the economic and social spheres as well as in business life.
EADS graduates will have strong competencies in the analysis of economic decision-making and in the statistical-econometric analysis of data and economic evidence, plus individual specialization along the lines of economics and management, management and decision sciences, or economics and decision sciences.
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Career Opportunities
The Program prepares to face, analyze, and solve a wide spectrum of complex and policy-relevant problems at the institutional, social and industrial level, with the primary objective of identifying sustainable solutions and designing effective intervention policies in the economic and social spheres as well as in business life.
EADS graduates will have strong competencies in the analysis of economic decision-making and on the statistical-econometric analysis of data and economic evidence, plus individual specialization along the lines of economics and management, management and decision sciences, or economics and decision sciences.
Job placement opportunities encompass academia (various disciplines, especially economic sciences and statistics), public administration, international institutions, research laboratories, study centers, and regulatory authorities, as well as private companies (services, industry and professional advice).
Past graduates in economic disciplines from the IMT School are currently working at leading universities, international institutions, research centers, banks, insurance and consulting companies, innovative startups and other private companies, with a focus on quantitative assessment and solution of complex problems.
Curriculum
The Ph.D. program EADS is structured as follows.
In the first year, students take a set of fixed bundles of basic courses in economics, analytics, and decision sciences as well as several elective advanced courses that prepare students to conduct research in their specific area of interest. Laboratory activities on coding, collection of empirical evidence, and data analysis are offered together with a number of long seminars run by faculty members who are external to the IMT School. Elective refresher courses in economics and quantitative methods are offered (online) just before the beginning of the PhD program.
The list of courses for the year 2025/2026 will see only minor adjustments, if any.
Teaching is mostly carried out by members of the AXES research unit, with significant contributions from members of MOMILAB, NETWORKS, SYSMA, DYSCO, and LYNX.
In the years 2-4, students engage in their own research, under the guidance of the faculty members from one of the research units. Students are expected to present their research projects in the second year.
Students also have the opportunity to complete their research projects under joint supervision (double-degree) with partner universities, including KU Leuven and the University of Alicante. All students are encouraged to spend part of their studies abroad, both within the Erasmus+ framework and through ad-hoc mobility agreements.
All Research units at the IMT School organize regular seminars by external and internal faculty members which complement the coursework with exposure to the latest research. Speakers at the seminars are leading researchers from all around the world.
There are also a number of active reading groups covering a variety of research areas where students can present their work in progress or discuss ideas and interesting papers. Students are encouraged to present their research in internal seminar series and reading groups.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
All students enrolled in the Ph.D. program receive a scholarship of 1,353.58 € per month, which includes pension contributions and results in a net salary of 1,195.48 € for up to 4 years, with a possibility of graduating after the third year.
For the first three years, all students are offered on-campus housing and meals at the IMT canteen for free, which can be valued as an additional benefit of at least €800/month.
Furthermore, they are given additional financial support for mobility abroad, participation in international academic conferences, summer and winter schools, and other similar events.